Office of Emergency Management Welcomes Administrator Walter Topp

The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management announces Walter Topp as the new Emergency Management Administrator. Walter will be responsible for the leadership and oversight of all emergency management in Cuyahoga County. He will work in tandem with community partners and stakeholders to provide support and response to natural and man-made disasters and aid these groups in their preparedness efforts.

Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, “We are looking forward to Mr. Topp joining the Office of Emergency Management. His hiring and outstanding qualifications show our commitment to emergency
management preparedness.”

Walter comes to Cuyahoga County with more than thirty years of emergency response and preparedness experience with the United States Coast Guard, the Cleveland Police Department and the United States Navy.While serving in the Navy, Walter designed and conducted numerous war games at the National Defense University and at the United States Naval War College, including a series of Consequence Management tabletop exercises for military installation commanders and senior government officials, which included Congressional staff members. Walter also served as the Deputy Inspector General for the Multi-National Force in Iraq and as the Command Center Duty Officer and Emergency Action Message Controller for the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. Early in his career, Walter served as a Patrol Officer, Patrol Sergeant, and Budget Officer for the City of Cleveland Division of Police.

Walter was actively involved in planning and responding to numerous operational and emergency situations while assigned to fleet command centers in Japan, Italy, and Hawaii.While assigned to a Joint Task Force at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he developed contingency plans for hurricane evacuation, civil disorders, and the repatriation of 24,000 Cuban and Haitian refugees.

Walter holds an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement from Cuyahoga Community College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from John Carroll University, a Master’s of Public Administration from Cleveland State University and most recently, a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.